Five interesting things about Cagayan Valley

There’s more to Cagayan Valley than its namesake river.

Cagayan Valley is famous for its namesake Cagayan River (the country’s largest and second longest), but there’s more to the northeast region than that. Here are five interesting things about Cagayan Valley that you probably don’t know—but must:

  1. The fish “lurung” or “lidong” is the most expensive fish in the Philippines. A kilo of “lurung” could cost as much as P5,000, simply because it’s quite challenging to catch them. Unfortunately, the “Lurung” (which belongs to the salmon family) is on the brink of extinction due to excessive poaching.
  1. The Cagayan North International airport opened in the province in late 2019. Located in the town of Lal-lo, the airport is touted to bring in more entrepreneurs and investors because of the convenient access and faster travel time to the Freeport headquartered in Santa Ana. Before this, the only airport in the region could be found in the capital city of Tuguegarao.
  1. Cagayan is the second largest producer of rice in the country, second only to Central Luzon. The region is also the top producer of corn in the Philippines.
  1. The best time to visit Cagayan Valley is from January to June, before the typhoon season in the country sets in. It’s also in June that the region holds its Agao Nac Cagayan festival, which rivals the Sinulog Festival of Cebu in terms of grandiose. There’s usually a dance competition, as well as street dancing; booths that feature locally made products, and a beauty pageant, among many other fun activities.
  1. There is a Crab Hotel at the El Presidente Beach Resort located in the municipality of Buguey, the “crab capital of the north.” The hotel is owned by the local government, which invested some P32 million pesos to build the hotel. It features beautiful and comfortable rooms, great for team building and family staycation.